December 31, 2003

Saints say two assistants will not return

For the Saints those two casualties were Alexander Hubbard (wide receiver coach) and Sam Clancy (defensive line coach).

The Saints declined to renew both coaches contracts, which would have expired March 3, 2004.

Both were part of the original coaching staff head coach Jim Haslett put together in 2000.

The Times Picayune's Saints beat writer Jeff Duncan caught up with wide receiver Joe Horn following the release of Hubbard.

Horn told Duncan that he was extremely disappointed in the team's decision to release his position coach.

"I don't know who made the decision, but it is absolutely uncalled for," Horn said.

"Hubbard was not the reason we didn't make the playoffs. He was not the reason we were 8-8. He doesn't call the plays. If you're going to fire the receivers coach, then every coach should be fired. (Offensive coordinator) Mike McCarthy should be fired. (Head coach) Jim Haslett should be fired. The whole damn coaching staff should go. It's wrong that Hubbard was made the scapegoat. That's crazy. That's cold-blooded. I feel like the head of a snake was cut off, and it wasn't even poisonous."